Divide
by Zoni
Summary: Sebastian kissed Ciel the night before his master's wedding. That single action drove a stake between them. Ciel contemplates the situation as Sebastian serves him tea. Ciel/Seb, Seb/Ciel


**Divide  
><strong>_by Zoni_

Tense.

Sebastian moves gracefully through the doors of my office. In front of him, he pushes a wooden cart covered in a tea sets and pastries. It is so quiet in my office that I can even hear the wheels turning on the cart. The day is beautiful. Behind me, one of the windows has been opened. I can hear the sound of my wife chattering away with one of her visiting friends on the lawn below. Even with the peaceful atmosphere that surrounds my manor house, the feel of this room is still tense.

Sebastian's demeanor, his behavior, has not changed. Even now, he is bowing gracefully to me before he pours a cup of tea and sets it in front of me. "Would the young master like a slice of the dacquoise?"

Before this month, he would not have had to ask. Now he asks at every meal. Somehow, I have found myself unable to eat the decadent sweets that he creates for me. For a moment, I debate whether or not to turn him down again today. My sweet tooth wins out over my own stubborn attitude. "Yes."

For Sebastian, it seems as if nothing has changed. He lifts a plate with a slice of the dessert already prepared on top of it and places it in front of me. "Will you be accompanying Lady Phantomhive into town on her excursion tomorrow?" His voice is quiet as he asks the question. Polite. Reserved. If only I could label it as being indifferent.

"No," I respond, "There are Funtom Company matters that I need to attend to."

He nods in acknowledgement. Then, he turns to stare at the far wall as he waits for me to finish my snack. I do not understand how he can be so at ease, especially when I feel so uneasy. It has been three weeks since it happened.

XXX

In the week before my wedding to Elizabeth, Sebastian had been unusually quiet. While he was as every bit as polite and prompt as he always was, his mood was sharp enough that even the other servants gave him a wide berth. Normally, he is unreadable to anyone other than myself. To have other people so aware that he was in a bad mood was unsettling t me. I found his new attitude disturbing.

The last night before the wedding, I waited until he and I were alone as he dressed me for bed. I asked him, "Does it really bother you that much, Sebastian?"

I did not have to ask what was bothering him. While I was not aware of exactly what detail of the marriage was at fault, I knew that it was the source of his tension. Mention of the upcoming event had been putting him in a mood so black that it was nearly tangible, even if he had remained smiling the entire time. He responded quietly to my query. "Only a little."

"Why?"

His eyes watched me carefully as his fingers toyed with the last of the buttons on my nightshirt. He did not respond. Instead, he leaned down toward me, pausing so close to my face that I could feel his breath on my lips. My eyes were fixed on his. For a moment, it seemed as though time had stopped.

Then, very slowly, he leaned in and pressed his lips to my own. Soft, warm. He caught me completely off guard. His mouth moved against mine, giving me my answer even as he sought a reaction. I was too surprised to even formulate a response. Almost without thinking, I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away as I shouted, "What do you think you are doing?"

XXX

Since that night, Sebastian has been the perfect butler. He is unfailingly professional, polite and prompt. Flawless. He goes through his duties and makes certain that the household, myself and even Elizabeth are perfectly taken care of. He has not said anything about that night. To me it seems that, for him, it is almost as if nothing happened.

I have tried to put it out of my mind. However, my efforts seem to have backfired. Now, I seem to be almost hyperconscious of him. Even now, as he stands at my side and patiently waits for me to finish the sinfully delicious cake, I am watching him. The demon has a habit of capturing my attention. Usually at the most inconvenient times. I wonder if anyone else noticed the way that Sebastian stared at me during the wedding ceremony. Does Lizzy wonder why I pulled away from her last night? Even I am forced to wonder why I cannot seem to get him out of my head. It doesn't matter. It's annoying.

"Young master?" Sebastian's voice is quiet, as though he is trying not to startle me out of my thoughts.

"I'm finished," I reply. I push the dishes away from me and wait for him to collect them.

"Very well," he says, stepping forward. Quietly, he murmurs, "Young master..."

I turn my head slightly as he reaches up. His fingers drift down the side of my face. Even through the cotton of his gloves, his touch is very warm. I can feel myself blush unwillingly as his thumb brushes over my chin. Just as suddenly as it started, it is over. Sebastian is picking up the dishes and stepping away as I stutter his name, "S-sebastian!"

"You had some crumbs on your face, young master."

"Right." There is no other response that I can give for that. "You are dismissed."

He sets the dishes down onto the tea tray without a sound before turning back to face me. His eyes meet mine as he bows lightly before me. Then, he turns and pushes the tray out of the office, following and shutting the door behind him without a sound.

Once again, I find myself alone and wondering why my heart sped up the way that it did when I felt Sebastian's hand on my skin.

**End.  
>XXX<br>**_Author's Note: _This was originally intended to be a longer first chapter to a seme!Ciel story that I wanted to work on, but it wound up turning into practice with tenses. Ah well. Practice makes perfect? Sorry that it's so insanely short!


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